Method and apparatus for spinning unwoven fabrics



Dc.14, 1943. lFA w. MANNING 2,336,743

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINNING UNwovEN FABRICS Filed Oct. 13, 1941 l 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec.`14, 1943. F, w MANNING 2,336,74 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINNING UNWOVEN FABRICS n.

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a@ @Mg Dec. 14, 1943. F, w- MANN|NG 2,336,743 l METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINNING UNWOVEN FABRICS Filed oct. 1s, 1941 5 sheets-sheet 3 Patented Dec. 14, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' y METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINNING UN WOVEN FABRICS Fred W. Manning, Palo Alto, Calif.

Application October 13, 1941, Serial No. 414,809

15 Claims.

My invention relates to the manufacture of unwoven fabrics, and more particularly to the spinning of filamentous coatings over articles for their protection, conveyance, reinforcement, exhibition, and like purposes. This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application, Extensible fabrics, Serial No. 398,984, filed June 20, 1941.

The object of my invention is to provide a method and apparatus for spinning a coating or covering directly over the article to be enclosed, or otherwise treated, in order to avoid such operations as the fabrication of a plurality of filaments or fibres into threads or yarns, the weaving of threads into fabrics, the cutting and forming of fabrics for enclosures, etc.

In the art of sericulture it is well known that the silk glands of the silkworm consist of two sacs running along the sides of the body having.

a common extrusion outlet, or spinneret, on the underlip of the headof the larva, and as the larva approaches maturity these sacs become gorged with a clear viscous fluid which it proceeds to spin into an oval filamentous structure around itself by ejecting the spinning fluid from both glands simultaneously in a continuous reelable thread of perhaps 1,000 yards in length while moving its head around'in regular order for severa1 days. It should be noted that the thread so ejected consists of filaments seriposited from two separate glands, which during extrusion come into contact with a resinous substance called sericin exuded from two other glands. The sericin is supposed to serve the double purpose of helping the fine viscous threads through the spinneret and causing the filaments to adhere when brought into contact with the atmosphereso that the inner layers of the cocoons become so closely and densely agglutinated as to constitute a parchment-like mass. This adherence of a filament to the inside of the cocoon, in conjunction with a movement of the head of the larva relatively greater than the extrusion speed of the filament, enables the worm to give stretch and strength to the latter. After the cocoons have been treated in various ways to facilitate the removal of their filaments the latter are unwound from a number of cocoons simultaneously, twisted together to form a thread, the thread reeled and woven into a fabric, and the woven fabric cut and conformed for various covering purposes. thetic materials, it has been the practice to extrude the spinning dope through spinnerets to form individual filaments, coagulate the extruded Similarly, in the utilization of synfilaments by spinning baths or solvent recovery chambers, twist and stretch the filaments during the curing process to form a thread or yarn, reel the spun threads for Weaving, weave the reeled threads into a fabric, and cut and fit the fabric for various covering purposes.

As distinguished from such prior practice, I propose to follow more closely the'habits of the silkworm by spinning a fabric, covering, or coating, directly and in close proximity to the spinneret, and thereby accomplish with a simple device the results that heretofore have required ya number of complicated machines. In accordance with my invention, the spinning material is extruded through orifices in the `spinneret, which may be slits, circular, or of other cross-section; the configuration may be such as to make the filaments, bristles, ribbons, or sheet, of any desired shape and size, the filamentous coating may be made water repellent, fire resistant, impervious to moisture, or of any desired porosity, and to adhere to the surface of the contained article, or to become physically homogeneousl therewith, or simply to become an enclosure for the article; and the filaments may be spun in parallel lines that may intersect uniformly, or in irregular lines that intersect promiscuously and progressively about the article to be encloseduntil the desired coating results.`v In all such structures, I prefer the spinning'of the extruded filaments to be accomplished by the rapid whirling of the filaments within a controlled area while subject to the influence of an elastic fluid for directing the movements of the whorls, stretching, congealing, and depositing the filaments, in which case, the filaments will be treated in a dispersed or disrupted condition and not the continuous unbroken state so necessary in present practice. The deposition and induration of the spun filaments will cause the structure to conform to the shapeof the object to be coated or enclosed; and any desired adherence of the two may be accomplished by the congealing of the filaments, or by use of a solution in 'which the solvent is common to 'both filaments and object to be coated, or by the application of an adhesive solution in which the solvent is not applicable to either. As an example: Acetone is a solvent for certain cellulosic fibres and may also be used as a solvent for a copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate in a spinning solution, and such a solution may be used 'to autogenously weld the spun filaments to a pad of bres to hold the latter together in the manufacture of 'surgical dressings; water is not a solvent for either filamentsk or fibres, butit may be used a solvent for sodium silicate in a spray solution to cause the iilaments to adherelto the fibres. In any case,

the object to be coated, or/and the deposited p illaments, may be treated with a wetting agent,`

such as sodium suli'onate of dioctyl succinate, commonly sold as Aerosol OT, to aid the bonding action; Of course, the silkworm builds its cocoon from the inside. I usually reverse this procedure by `building the lamentous coating upon or about the object from the outside, but

the very limited space required for my spinning operation is commensurate with that required by the silkworm; and speed of induration, stretching, and application of the filaments, is obtained by the rapidA whirling of the iilaments in a substantially separated condition in a suitable gaseous medium moving in a controlled path, in

conjunction with a relative movement of spin.

neret and/or iilaments and object being coated, until a suiilcient filamentous structure or membrane on the objectresults. If the whirling speed "resins, plasticizers, volatile solvents, etc., to iorm a .viscous spinning fluid, providing such solution will produce a illamentous structure of' the required cbaracteristics as to strength, elasticity, heat-sensitivity, coagulant point, etc.; or a mineral, mineral derivative, and other organic and inorganic substances, such as glass. argillaceous limestone, polymeric amide, etc., may be spun separately or together from a molten state lwith or -without the aid of solvents, plasticiaers, etc.,`to produce a filamentous structure. Induration of the filaments and bonding agents may be accomplished by variousmeans, such as vulcanization for latex compositions, evaporation for solutions containinga cellulomc derivative in a Figure 4 is a cross-section' of the bertakenonlinel-lofFigure,

Figure 5 is a vertical section chamof a spinning chamber having a rotative spinneret driven by a ilu'id motor.

Figure 6 is the motor end viewof the spinning cylinders shown in Figures 5 and 11.

Figure 'I is the motonend view of the spinning cylinders shown in Figures 5 and l11 with the Figure 10is an end view of Figure 9 showing the movement of the spiralling laments resulting from centrifugal spinning.

Figure 11 is a vertical section of a spinning chamber showing another type of centrifugal spinneret, driven by ailuid motor.

Referring to the drawings more speciilcally by\ reference characters:

Figure 1 shows the discharge of fibre ui sanitary pads I from thedeposition chamber-D, described in my copending application, entitledl Extensible fabrics, Serial No, 398,984. These pads are connected together by attenuated ends, string, or tape 2, which may be pervlous and moistened with an adhesive to cause the fibres to adhere theret'o, and move as a continuous sheet through: enclosures 3 and l, where they may be treated to wetting agents, deodori'zers, adhesive materials, or other treating agents, from spray nozzles i and l, respectively; curing chamber 'I,

- `where .the deposited iilaments become indurated;

volatile solvent, a cooling agent for molten thermoplastics, absorption of oxygen for airdrying petroleum derivatives, hot air for heat reactive phenol-formaldehyde and vglycerolphthalic anhydride resins, contact with chemicals in a gaseous state for certain viscose materials, etc.; and any suitable elastic iluid, such as air, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc., may be used for heating. cooling, evaporatins. directing the movements of the illaments, and other spinning and curing operations. Y

'I'he invention is exemplified in the following description, and a preferred arrangement is illstrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure lisapartverticalsectionof the spinning and curing chambers with the auxiliary equipment shown diagrammatically, and in which the indurating gases in the lcuring chamber pass countercurrently to the movementof the fabric.

Figure 2 is a cross-section of the curing chamber taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure3isapartvertical section ofthespinning and curing chambers with the auxiliary equipment shown diagrammatically, and in which the indurating gases in the curing chamber pass concurrently to the movement of the fabric.

and enclosures land l, where the coated pads also may be treated by wetting agents, water repellents, adhesive materials, or other treating agents, from spray nozzles Il and II`, respectively. Rings I2 and Il of -the spinning manifold Il, rotate in the circular tracks I5 and I6, respectively, of the curing chamber, and positioned radially in the spinning manifold are one or more'spinning chambers S. The ilexible hose I1, which permits rotative movement of the spinning manifold, conveys air fromthe heater I8 to the spinning chamber lthrough which it passes concurrently with the movement of the laments to accomplish their spanning, deposition, and partial induration; and the heater is supplied by air from pump I! through the pipe line 2l. The same means is used to supply heated air through pipe line 2l tothe curing chamber where it may be further heated by steam jacket p chamber by a concurrent movement of the air during the spinning operation, and the. balancev is removed from the deposited'illaments by a counter-current movement of the air in the curing chamber, after which the two volumes of solvent laden air unite to be exhausted through pipe line 2l to the condenser 2l. The condensate isdischargedthroughpipe 25tothespinning solution supply tank 26, which is connected to the pump 21 by means of pipe 28. The solution 'l 33, at the inlet and outlet of the curing chamber, respectively, prevent loss of solvent vapor and ingress of air. Conveyor belts 31 and I8, passing over pulleys '38 and 40, and 4l and 42, respectively. convey the coated pads away for cutting and wrapping purposes.' Inlet 43 and outlet 44 permit circulation of steam through the heating Jacket of the curing chamber.

Figure 3 shows an arrangement in which the spinning manifold is placed at the bottom of the curing chamber and the spinning fluid is used to treat and complete the induration of the de- /posited filaments in a concurrent movement,

both treating gases and padsv movinggin an vup ward direction.

Figures 2 and 4 show an arrangement for two opposed spinning chambers S, in a rotatable spinning manifold. The latter may be built to take any required number of chambers, which will usually be positioned radially and spaced uniformly. The number used will determine the extent to which the manifold must swing to cause thefilaments to overlap during deposition before the swinging action should be reversed. The swing back andforth may be accomplished by hand, but preferably is actuated by the well known automatic rotative reversing equipment.

Figure 5 shows a spinning chamber consisting of cylinder 50, cylinder head 5|, spinning tube 52, spinneret plate 53, ball bearings 54 and 55, rib supports 56 and 5l, respectively, for the ball bearings, and a uid impeller 58 fastened tothe spinning tube. Air from one'or more ports 59 engage the buckets 60, causing the tube to spin, and escapes at the periphery of the impeller -35 through the openings between the rib supports, and finally through the annular space between the spinneret and cylinder.'v 'I'he pump pressure of the spinning solution and the rapid rotative movement of the spinneret cause each extruded filament to move forward in a helicoid, thereby stretching the filaments; and in this forward helical movement the helices are extended, and the filaments supported, surrounded, conveyed, and given an additional stretch by the discharge of the annular column of air, which is also given a rotative movement in the same direction by4 the rapid turning of the spinneret. The end views of the spinning chamber with and without the cylinder head are shown in Figures 6 and 7, respectively.

Figure 8 shows anv arrangement in which an electric motor 6I, which may be placed internally or externally of the spinning chamber, is substituted for the fluid motor of Figure 5. A fan 62, attached to the spinning tube 63, supplies the air pressure -required for supporting, surrounding, conveying; and stretching the whirling filaments. In this arrangement a flexible spinneret plate 64 is fastenedI to the spinning tube by lock nut 65, and the spinning fluid escapes from the tubethrough openings 66 .into the centrifugal bowl of the tube. Extrusion force, resulting from pump dierential pressure and/or centrifugal action causes the spinneret plate to give su-lilciently `to allow an annular film to be extruded, and this illm immediately disperses into filaments as a result of pump pressure and/or centrifugal force and/or movements of the elastic conveying fluid.

Figure 9 shows a centrifugal spinneret arrangement in which a cylinder 61 encloses a spinning tube 68 and a spinneret plate 69. Openings 10 permit the spinning dope to escape from the tube into. the centrifugal bowl from which it is spun 75 -closed' within 'cylinder 13.' In this construction the spinning through openings in the bowlsperiphcry, or by defiecting the spinneret plate; and the spinning fluid is dispersed into filaments as the result of the spinning forces mentioned in the design shown 'in Figure 8. the spinneret results in each extruded filament stretching into an ever widening spiral that-bends forward until its movement is directed towards the object to be coated as a result of the annular rush of air from the blower.

Figure 10 shows the end of the cylinder in Figure 9, indicating the spiral spinning of the filaments as the result of centrifugal action.

Figure 1l shows a vertical sp which a serrated spinneret plate 'Il is fastened to a rod 12, which is driven by a fluid motor enthe smaller end of the spinning dope is discharged from the pipe 14 onto the serrated plate, and upon overflowing the last serration is thrown oil centrifugally and the spirallingv filaments carried forward by the annular rush of air from the fluid motor exhaust.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description that both the extrusion of the filaments through the spinneret, and the stretching of the extruded. filaments, are spinning operations; and that whirling of the filaments in a controlled path may be used to vgreatly speed up the `spinning, curing, and application of the filaments, and

also simplify the apparatus required for such a purpose. The whirling may be accomplished spirally by means of centrifugal force, and the spiralling filaments then carried forward for deposi tion purposes by an elastic fluid moving in a controlled path; or the whirling may be accomplished helically by extruding the filaments axially under pressure through a revolving spinneret and conveying the filaments forward by an elastic fluid moving in a controlled path; or axially extruded filaments may be carried forward directly Without whirling by an elastic fluid moving in a controlled path. If the filaments proportion to the velocity of the conveying fluid,

and the disruption of the filaments during confilaments, and without the aid of an elastic fluid, and without disruption Vof thehfllaments, by a rapid movement of the object being coated whose surface speed ordinarily would be greater than the extrusion velocity of the filaments. vHowever,l whether the filaments are spun spirally, helically, or in a straight line, they must travel relatively, and preferably be deposited progressively, over the object `to be coated; and yduring deposition of the filaments the conveying fluid g chamber in and the object to be. coated,

preferably -takes comprising: i terial into a plurality of may pass through the object being coated, or it .may be diverted. without such passage, or its force may be neutralized. The spinning may therefore be accomplished by an extrusion force, movement of a conveying fluid, or a relative movement between the filaments or spinneret but preferably is the result of the cooperative movements of all three; an elastic fluid may be used for spinning, conveying, indurating, and depositing purposes; and the induration of the laments may be accomplished during spinning, or after deposition, but place during both periods for the purposes of speeding up the curing process, to facilitate the conformingof the filaments to the shape of the object to be covered, and sometimes to obtain adherence between the iilaments and object coated.

and depositing -ciently plastic to adhere to one another, upon a retaining wall in such a-manner as to cause the nlamentstointersect and unite into an integral Y pervious web.v

tialstrength.

Throughout the speciication and appendedi claims, it will be understood: to disrupt a spinning material meanarto extrude, or break up', or 4otherwise divide, the spinning material into fila-,-

ments, and this may be accomplished from a solvent, molten, or other state; a spinnere is. any device that may be used, to extrude, or break up, orotherwise divide, the spinning material into nlaments; spinning means, to form by extension of a spinning material; integral" means, all of one piece; and retaining wall includes, sheets, pads, and all other articles that maybe coated or enclosed by a lamentous structure, or Y upon which a. lamentous structure may .be-supported or deposited.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of spinning an unwoven fabric comprising: disrupting a .plastic spinning material into a plurality of 'filaments and conveyf ing the said filaments by forceof a fluid stream moving in a controlled path in such manner as to cause the laments while they are still sufliciently plastic to adhere to one anothe to intersect and unite into an integral pervious web.

2. The method or spinning@ unwoven fabric comprising: disrupting a plastic spinning material into a plurality of filaments; conveying the said filaments by forceof an elastic fluid moving in a controlled path'; and depositing the said 'filaments while suillciently plastic to adhere 'to one another, upon a retaining wall in such a manner as'to cause the filaments to intersect and unite into an integral pervious web. l

3.' The method of spinning an unwoven fabric a' plastic spinning maiilaments; conveying the -said laments by force of anuid stream moving in a vcontrolled path; and depositing the said '1. The method of spinning an unwoven fabric comprising: disrupting a plastic spinning materlal into a plurality of plastic filaments by the action of centrifugal force; stretching the plastic filaments by moving them inv whorls by force of an elastic uid at a greater speed than that at 'which the filaments are formed; and depositing the extended filaments ,while suiilciently plastic to adhere toione another, upon a retaining wally in such. a manner as -to cause the lila-1.,

ments ,to intersect promiscuosly and unite into an integral pervious web of substantial strength.

8. 'I'he method of spinning an unwoven fabric comprising: disrupting a plastic spinning material into a1 plurality of filaments; conveying and dispersing the said filaments by force of a.

iiuid4 stream moving in a controlled path; de-

positing the said filaments while sufficiently plastic to adhere to oneanother, upon a retaining wall in such a manner as to cause the -laments to intersect Aand' unite into an integral pervious web. L

9. The method of of a nbre producing material and a solvent; disrupting the said solution into a plurality of iilaments; disrupting and dispensing the said filaments by ,force of a fluid stream moving in a controlled path; depositing the said filaments while suiiiciently plastic to adhere to one another, upon a retainingwall in such a manner as to cause the filaments to intersect promiscuously and unite into an integral pervious web.

10. In a spinning apparatus, the combination of: a spinneret; a curing chamber to which the said spinneret isconnected; means for moving a retaining wall into the said chamber; means.

for passing a plastic spinning material through '-thesaid spinneret to disrupt the material into rfilaments while suiii'ciently plastic to adhere' to one'another, progressively upon a retaining wall by relativeV movement of the said stream over the f wall, and in such a manner; as to cause the ilalments to intersect and unite into Aan integral pervious web.

4..'1'he method of comprising: heating a plastic spinning material to a molten state; disrupting the molten material into a plurality oi'` filaments; and depositing the said mamentswhile sumcientnr mastic to ad- 'here to-one another, upon a retaining wall in such a manner as to cause the filaments to intersect and unite into' an integral pervious web.

5. The method of spinning an unwoven fabric comprising: heating a plastic spinning material to a molten state; disrupting the molten -material into a plurality ofgfilaments `and dispersing the iilaments by action of centrifugal force;

a plurality of filaments; and means for conveying a the said filaments while. sufiiciently plastic to spinning an unwoven fabric adhere to one another, from the said spinneret to the said wall in such a manner as to cause the filaments to intersect and unite into an integrai pervious web on the wall;

11. In a spinning apparatus, the combination of a spinneret; a curing chamber to which the said spinneret is connected; means for moving a retaining wall into the said chamber; means for passing a plastic spinning material through the said spinneret to disrupt the material into a plurality of filaments; means for conveying the said nlaments while sufiiciently plastic to adhere to one another, from the said spinneret to the said wall in such a manner as to cause the filaments to intersect 'and unite into. an integral pervious web on the wall; and means for passing a treating fluid through the said chamber in the dispersed filaments while suffispinning an unwoven fabric comprising: forming a plastic spinning solution a counter direction to the movement of the said wall to indurate the said web.

12. In a spinning apparatus, the combination of a spinneret; a curing chamber to which the said spinneret is connected; means for moving a retaining wall into the said chamber; means for passing a plastic spinning material through the said spinneret to disrupt the material into a plurality of laments; means for conveying the said lamentswhile sufficiently plastic to adhere to one another, from the said spinneret to the said wall in such a manner as to cause the laments to intersect and unite into an integral pervious web on the wall; and means for moving the said spinneret and said wall relatively during the said deposition whereby the illaments are extended and strengthened and the said web is progressively formed.

13. In a spinning apparatus, the combination of: a spinneret; a curing chamber to which the said spinneret is connected; means `for moving a retaining wal1 through the said chamber; means for passing a plastic spinning material through the said spinne'ret to disrupt the material into a plurality of illaments; and means for conveying the said filaments while suiiicently plastic to adhere to one another, from the said spinneret to the said wall simultaneously with the movement of the wall through the said chamber in such a manner as to cause the filaments to intersect and unite progressively into an integral pervious web on the wall.

14. In a spinning apparatus, the combination of: a spinneret; a curing chamber to which the said spinneret is connected; means for moving a retaining wall through the said chamber; means for passing a plastic spinning material through the said spinneret to disrupt the material into a plurality of laments; and means for conveying the said iilaments while sufficiently plastic to adhere to one another, from the said spinneret to the said wall at a greater speed than that at which the illaments are formed in such a manner as to cause the extended niaments to intersect and unite into an integral pervious web of substantial strength on the wall.

15. In a spinning apparatus, the combination of: a. spinneret; a curing chamber to which the said spinneretis connected; means for moving a. retaining wall into the said chamber; means for passing a .plastic spinning material through the said spinner-et to disrupt the material into a plurality of ilaments at a given speed; means for applying a iluid stream to the said laments to disperse and propel the illaments in the d1- rection of their travel at a greater than the said i given speed whereby the filaments are extended;

and means for depositing the extended filaments on the said wall while sumciently plastic to adhere to one another, in such a manner as to cause the iilaments to intersect and unite into an integral pervious web of substantial strength on the wall.

FRED W. MANNING.

liisclaimer 2,336,743.- Fred W. Manning, Palo Alto, Calif. METHOD AND APPARATUS Fon SPINNING UNWovEN FABRICS. Patent dated Dec. 1 4, 1943. Disclaimer filed Nov. 20, 1947, by the inventor.

Hereby enters vthis disclaimer to claim 4 in said specification.

[Oczl Gazette December 16, 19.47.] 

